While most of us are familiar with the West End’s theatrics, the Museum of Shakespeare will acquaint you with London’s first theatreland when it opens in Shoreditch.
Scheduled to open in spring next year, the museum will be an immersive and interactive permanent experience transporting people back to the 16th century to walk in the footsteps of the famous playwright.
The museum will be se within the archaeological remains of The Curtain Playhouse which is one of two ancient monuments in Hackney and found three metres underground.
RELATED CONTENT: Children & Teens Will Get a Boss New Cultural Centre When Young V&A Opens in July
Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the culture of Elizabethan London to learn about the life, inspirations, and creative process of William Shakespeare.
The museum experience will include original objects from the time alongside multisensory experiences and a chance to walk on the stage where Shakespeare presented some of his everlasting plays including Romeo and Juliet and Henry V.
The Curtain Playhouse, which first opened its doors in 1577, was a cultural and social centre for the city during Elizabethan times that hosted things like plays and fencing matches. It is one of only a handful of sole-purpose Elizabethan playhouses identified as an archaeological monument in London and one of the earliest surviving examples of a non-polygonal theatre.
An excavation of the site by the Museum of London Archaeology in 2011to 2016 revealed its remains, which include a stage and artifacts such as money box tops and tobacco pipes.
It is expected the playhouse will immerse visitors in the sights, smells and sounds of Shakespeare’s 1598 world through dynamic experiences, innovative theatrical technology, and archaeological discoveries.
Want the latest features and reviews straight into your inbox? Sign up for The Resident's weekly email newsletter here.
Guests can also have their time in the limelight and demonstrate their own flare for performance and creative storytelling.
The museum will be part of The Stage, a mixed-purpose development containing public space, living, office, retail and leisure space set within new and history buildings.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here